Ongoing issues that affect us all; economically, socially and Politically.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Want a View of the future?

Police in Ecuador kept their President holed up in a hospital for more that twelve hours the other day. Reason; the government slashed wages and benefits for government workers. And the police didn't like it.

Ecuadorian President Correa is described as a U.S.-trained leftist economist. "The United States deplores violence and lawlessness, and we express our full support for President Rafael Correa and the institutions of democratic government in that country," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. Correa said that those who came to his rescue were "ready to die to defend democracy" . One article said "Like his leftist ally Chavez of Venezuela, Correa has drastically cut royalties to multinational oil companies in favor of his people, discouraging direct foreign investment while courting such nations as Iran and Russia.

Leftist economist trained in the U.S., speaks of democracy yet is an ally of Chavez and gets lip service for Hillary Clinton. I'm confused. But not THAT confused.

Many in the U.S. talk about the Tea Party as though it might be made up of dangerous individuals. They talk about the "militia members" as potential dangers. Nothing has sparked a minority riot in a while and the average citizen in the U.S. is simply to meek to cause trouble for government. But how far can a countries politicians push and indebt a people before something sparks the tender. I think I see the answer to the question.

This act in Ecuador was not done or perpetrated by the law abiding populace but by the very group who is suppose to stand between the public and anarchy, the police. And why? Their pay and pensions.

Right now, most of this country's' pensions are in jeopardy as never before. I know, because I lost mine however, I was in the private sector. I had to suck it up and "eat it" but government workers are not likely to view their pensions in a similar manner. I heard one State's firefighter pension fund was $180 billion underfunded. I know firefighters in Las Vegas have a pretty good package. Las Vegas firefighters receive an average compensation package of $174,261, including $123,427 in wages and $50,834 in benefits.

Metro police do quite well also. Now, they may be some of the top paid "minor" government employees but I doubt it. Multiply this by the number of large cities in the U.S. and then multiply that by the number of federal government employees who oversee all this mess and you will come up with some fantastic numbers of folks who EXPECT to continue to be compensated and EXPECT to collect those generous pensions. Most of these groups are unionized so the have some organizational structure

That includes the police, who are proficient with weapons, violence and violent tactics. After all they must deal with the worse element of society at it's worse daily. So, if they get treated like the boys in Ecuador, I would find nothing unusual if they were to use these considerable skills to express their displeasure.

You might say "that could never happen here" but I would disagree. Human nature is human nature. Ecuadorian Police officers are not that different in respect to human nature than any others around the world. They do a difficult job in difficult situations and expect to be compensated for all the risk they take. In many ways, they may even take greater risks to life and limb and likely with much more modest pay packages.

When the time comes to take the axe to public employees pay and pensions (and it will) who will be the first to blink. I think the :"trouble" will come from public service employees rather than the docile little sheep the average american worker has become. Most of the private sector folks have been indoctrinated to "behave" and "obey" the government authority. Government Authority, a moniker we all know, is called that for a reason. Think about how everyone lines up at the DMV for hours to have your time and station in life abused. Think how we all put up with some minor bureaucrat in all our dealings with government. Just think why. Because they can mess you up. They hold power over you no if ands or buts.

Now think how all these government "authorities" must feel from a "power" standpoint. Then think how that feeling of power and security might backlash on the very government from whom their power derives when they suddenly feel helpless as their pensions go to pension heaven and pay gets slashed by a government who cannot longer afford to pay. They will finally see that government is capable of turning on them just as government has turned on the average middle-class working guy.

Lot's of similarities between us and what happened in Ecuador. It bears watching this and other situations as this global nightmare unfolds. It may be a while yet, but rest assured it's coming as our leaders seem just too damn stupid to see what they have created, or rather perverted.

I find it ironic that the mainstream media writes of a leftist economist, and democracy all in the same breath, with support from Hillary Clinton his leftist ally Chavez of Venezuela all at the same time.

Yes, it is government who has brought all this down upon us not a free market. Government meddling in the economy has perverted the free market in an attempt to control human behavior. but that's for another article. My concern is the leftist socialist direction my country is taking. If you read this article you may just see the future.

In the wake of all the turmoil the head of Ecuador's armed forces called for the law that sparked the violence to be "reviewed or not placed into effect so public servants, soldiers and police don't see their rights affected.

Sounds good to me. Do not mess with public servants, soldiers and police rights but the rest of you can eat cake.

Meanwhile, although I claim no political party enjoy this video put out by some Republican group. I speaks volumes but the Republicans are no better than the Democrats in my book, just not quite as Marxist as the Jackass party.